


Lemon Boy

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Violence, Eventual Smut, Inspired by Music, M/M, Physical Abuse, Singer Dan Howell, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23915236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Upcoming singer/songwriter Dan Howell finally finds his big break in the form of Phil Lester's record label, Lion's Den. When the two begin to get close, Phil notices that the songs he writes all have something in common. Dan's boyfriend, Tyler. One day, the tone of the songs change.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Original Male Character(s), Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Kudos: 15





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, i know it's in the tags but i'm just going to warn here too. this story uses references to emotional, verbal, and physical abuse so if that's a trigger to anyone here, please do not read this. 
> 
> love y'all

Dan's hands are full of loose papers while he swayed uncomfortably to the movements of the underground when his phone rang obnoxiously loud in his coat pocket. He cursed under his breath and carefully slid the papers under his right arm, clutching them to his body with all the force he could muster.

"Note to self; buy a bag," he mumbled to himself as his prominent hand fished around in the deep pockets at his hips. When he finally grabbed it, his quickly yanked it out of his pocket, rushing to slid the screen which light up with the name of his agent, Tiffany. He scrambled to get the phone up to his ear as he let out an agitated 'hello'

"Dan? Great. I've been trying you on your work cell but Tyler picked up and said you left it at home." Tiffany spoke with irritation in her voice. Dan's chest momentarily tightened as he hushed his voice down.

"Tyler answered my phone?" he asked, moving his attention down to the floor, staring at where the lights reflected off of a lost coin. Deep down he knew that no one was looking at him. People answered the phone while on the underground all the time, but for some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck was pricked up, like he was on alert.

"Yeah, he said he heard it ringing in the bathroom and assumed you forgot to put it in your pocket after your shower." Tiffany went on, oblivious to the nervous energy from the other participant in the conversation.

"Oh," Dan breathed out, "Whatever. What'd you need, Tiff?"

"I finally got into contact with that record label for you. Lion's Den." Tiffany explained, "They said they want to hear you, today. Do you have anything to show them?"

Dan laughed to himself, "Seriously? Today?" he mumbled. "I mean, I have something. And I can show them some of my older songs. Just text me the address, I'm heading into town right now."

"I will. Good luck." Tiffany hung up promptly, shooting him a quick text with the address of the recording studio. He sighed, putting his phone away again, hanging his head in defeat. Dan shifted the papers back to his hand, flipping through them as best he could. He had about fifteen minutes left on his ride into the heart of London before he had to show off his newest song to an producer that he knew nothing about. He gnawed at his bottom lip as he scanned the words on the page, figure out which one would be best to perform.

~

It was only a matter of time before Dan's hand was shaking the slightly larger, warm hand of Phil Lester. He was somewhat of an icon in the field of producers, at least for the level that Dan was at. He was who everyone wanted; he had the money, means, and opportunity to make anyone's dream come true. Well, because of that, he was almost impossible to get a meeting with. Dan was lucky in that way. He gave the man a small polite smile before being led back into his office. 

"Go ahead and have a seat," he said as he took his spot behind a large wooden desk that was coated with papers strewn about. Dan's fingers brushed against the leather of the chair was he guided towards, feeling the cold fabric before sitting down, sinking down a little bit. 

"Thanks for agreeing to see me, Mr. Lester." Dan said, his hands finding themselves fidgeting in his lap. Once he looked up at the man, he finally got his first good look at him. He had his hair neatly put up in a quiff and a pair of thick rimmed glasses on his face, outlining his wide, bright blue eyes. His lips seemed to twitch up into a smile as Dan spoke, almost amused. 

"Nonsense. No one calls me Mr. Lester," he remarked, "Call me Phil, much less stuffy." 

Dan smiled a little, all of his muscles relaxing into the chair. "Okay then, Phil." The name spilled off of his tongue a lot smoother than Mr. Lester. "The sentiment still stands."

Phil laughed a bit, sitting forward in his chair to rest his forearms on the desk in front of him. Dan noticed he wasn't exactly wearing normal business attire. Instead, he opted for a loose green hoodie with chipping black letters that spelled out 'York'.

"When your agent contacted me, I'll admit I was a bit hesitant." Phil spoke smoothly. "But then, she told me something that intrigued me. You play piano as well as sing?"

Dan turned red, setting a personal reminder to fight Tiffany about why she was telling people that she played piano when he hadn't played since high school. He let out a bit of a nervous laugh, "She oversold my ability. I haven't really played, not in front of people, since high school." 

Phil nodded, obviously interested in the story. "Would you be interested in trying to pick that up again? I mean, if you know how to, it would certainly add a level of personality to your music." 

"I don't know. I'd say yes. I've been practicing a bit personally but it's hard to practice at home too much."

"I see," he hummed, "How about we go to the studio, and I give you a listen. Did you bring something to sing?" 

Dan nodded, holding his papers up a little bit. "I've brought some of my older stuff and then a song I'm working on right now." Phil smiled in response, standing up from his seat, grabbing his phone from it's place on the desk, tucking it into his hoodie pocket. Dan stood up with him, following him out the door and further down the hall from the office. Dan finally arrived at the door that read 'RECORDING IN PROGRESS' and took a deep breath. 

This was it. His one shot to finally be signed by the biggest producer in the area. He slowly pushed the door open as Phil took his place in the recording room next door. Dan was met by a soft white room, much cozier than he was imagining. The walls were lined with records of various artists ranging from The Beetles to other small London singers. Along the wall opposite the door was a light blue couch, covered in pillows and throw blankets, obviously there for when the artists needed breaks. In the center of the room was a microphone and a stool with a pair of headphones resting on the seat. Dan slowly walked over to it, looking up slightly only to see Phil in the other room. He jumped a little bit, laughing slightly. All of the other places he had interviewed at had a one-way mirror as opposed to an actual window. 

Dan smiled at Phil as he grabbed the headphones, sliding them on, just leaving one off so he could hear himself. Phil waved slightly and he watched him click a button on the large board of sound producing things Dan couldn't even wrap his head around. 

"I can see I spooked you. Sorry, Daniel." Phil's voice flooded the room. A com. Makes sense. Dan chuckled, looking down. 

"Uh, it's fine. Just wasn't expecting that." Dan answered honestly. "And, it's, uh... Dan." he mumbled nervously. 

"Sorry. Dan." Phil corrected, "So, how about we start with the older one. Then you can walk me through your process and I can hear the new one." he explained, Dan nodding along the entire time. There was something about Phil that you couldn't help but agree with. 

"Sounds good." Dan cleared his throat, taking a deep breath. The words began to leave his mouth, his eyes locked down on the papers in his hand. He didn't need them, but it just gave him somewhere to look. About one verse in, he heard the slight static of the com. 

"Dan. Take a deep breath. I can tell you're nervous. You sound great. Just, pretend I'm not here." Phil said gently, his soft voice filling Dan's ear, making him pause. He took another deep breath, nodding.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Dan said, closing his eyes as he dug his nail into the denim of his jeans. After a few seconds, he leaned back into the microphone, continuing from where he was. His eyes flicked up to meet Phil's, his nerves leaving his body. Once the song had finished, Dan let out a quiet sigh, taking the headphones off and stepping back from the microphone. He sat on the stool that was there, looking up to the other room for some notes on how that went, only to see that Phil was no longer there. Dan quirked a brow but when he heard the door opening, he knew that he had just come in. 

"How was that?" Dan asked, turning to face Phil as he entered the room. Phil gave him a big smile, leaning against the arm of the couch. 

"It was great. I'm glad you got rid of those nerves. I could tell it was going to be gorgeous." Phil answered, running a hand through his hair. "How do you feel about it?"

Dan hesitated, "Um... I'd say it was okay. Not my best run."

Phil laughed, "I like to hear that. Never settle," he hummed. "So, I'm gonna want to hear that other song, but first I just would like to understand you as an artist better." 

Dan nodded, "Yeah, of course. Go ahead." 

"So, I would love to just let you do your thing and I'd just be an assistant, but you know it doesn't work out that way." he chuckled. "I have to set deadlines for things. Like, when songs need to be done by." Phil spoke, crossing his legs at the ankles, tucking his hands into his pockets. 

"Are you asking how quickly I can get a song done?" Dan asked, smiling slightly. "No need to sugarcoat it. I understand how this industry works." 

Phil laughed, "Yes. I am."

"Well, depending on my mental state, I can get one done in about two months." Dan answered honestly, chewing on his lip. "Longest it's ever taken was like four months."

"So, if you were going to come out with a full album it would probably take..."

"Well, a year. Maybe?" Dan answered, his heart pounding. Were they already thinking full albums. Phil nodded. 

"And what usually do you write about? Something in your life?" Phil asked, "That song felt very personal."

Dan laughed a little, "Uh, yeah. My personal life." Phil smiled, standing up off the couch, telling Dan that he thinks they're ready for the next song. 

Fifteen minutes pass, Dan's standing in Phil office, his lips stretched into a permanent smile. His hand is shaking as his fingers grip the pen that's gliding across the paper in front of him. His contract.

"I'm so glad you're going to be joining us here." Phil smiled, sitting back in his chair, "We'll have to go out for drinks to celebrate. I do that with all of my new recruits," he lied, chewing on his lip. Dan chuckled a bit, looking up from the papers for a second. 

"Oh. I would love to. Could I bring my boyfriend? He gets grumpy if I don't invite him to things." Dan said nervously, smiling at him as he dropped the pen, finally finished with all the necessary signatures. 

"Of course," Phil hummed, "The more the merrier." 

"Cool. Um, we'll have to set that up one day." Dan said, "I've gotta go, I actually left my cell phone at home and Tyler gets worried when I don't answer him, so I really should be getting home." 

Phil nodded, standing to shake Dan's hand before the boy disappeared out of his office. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, staring at the doorway. He has a boyfriend. 

~

Dan's hand twisted the cold metal of the doorknob to his flat, pushing the door open as he hesitantly stepped inside. He took a deep breath before calling out for Tyler. 

"Hey, I'm home." Dan said softly, sliding his shoes off at the door. He heard a few footsteps before his boyfriend appeared, leaning against the kitchen counter not far from the front door. 

"Hey. How did work go?" Tyler asked, tapping his fingers against the counter. Dan smiled slightly and stepped forward to give him a small peck on the lips. 

"It was actually great. Tiffany finally got ahold of me and told me that she got me into that place downtown that I've been looking at. Lion's Den." he said, hopping up on the counter, sitting next to Tyler, leaning against him slightly. "So, I went down there this afternoon and met with Phil. He's the producer. And I showed him some of my stuff and he offered me a contract." 

Tyler nodded along with his story. "That's great. So, what does that mean?" 

"Basically, I'll start working with him and he'll record and produce all of my songs so that I can maybe put out an album." Dan explained, smiling. "It means I might finally go big."

Tyler snorted a bit, "Okay. Yeah, maybe." 

Dan furrowed his brows, leaning away from him a bit. "What does that mean?"

"I'm just saying, maybe don't put all your eggs in one basket. It's not that you're not good. I love your songs. It's just, making it big is really hard."

"I know that. I said I might." Dan mumbled. "Trust me. I have backups."

Tyler kissed Dan's head, "That's good, baby." he hummed. "I believe in you though."

"Thank you." Dan hummed, leaning into his side again. "Oh, and Phil invited us out for drinks to celebrate."

"Really? He invited me too?"

"He said I could bring you."

Tyler laughed a bit, "That just means that he was planning on it being just you two." he hummed. "I think he might have a thing for you."

Dan rolled his eyes, "Ty, don't start this. Not every guy I talk to is into me. And even if they were, I've got you. I'm not leaving you anytime soon."

"That's good." Tyler smiled, kissing Dan softly. "Because I don't intend on letting you go."


	2. II

Dan shifts from foot to foot, his hands clutching onto two coffees; a plain black coffee with two creams and three sugar, and one sugared up fancy drink that Dan could never remember the name of. It was Phil's, of course. He loved his caramel drinks that were tooth-rottingly sweet. Dan hummed to himself as the elevator lifted him from the lobby to the third floor, where the studio was located, his body almost emanating nervous energy.

It was his third week at Lion's Den. But more importantly, he had just pitched a song to Phil a few days prior and he was now calling him in to talk about it. To get on his good side, he decided to stop and bring him in some Starbucks on the way in, hoping that would keep Phil from yelling at him too bad.

Dan took a deep breath as he stepped off the elevator, immediately smelling the calming scent of lemon that always filled the floor. He gave a polite smile to Rebecca, the receptionist, before heading down the hallway to Phil's office. He briefly paused in front of the door, mentally preparing himself for whatever Phil had to say before he was knocking on the door.

"Come in." Phil shouted from the other side, making Dan's brows furrow as he pushed the door open to a seemingly empty office. He stepped in, glancing around a little bit before noticing the desk chair pushed out from behind the desk with Phil, on his hands and knees behind it, messing with a few wires.

"Stupid computer. Never works when I need it." Phil said, his voice slightly muffled by the desk. Dan laughed, peering over the desk to see what he was doing. He sat up from the floor, smiling at Dan, his hair now much messier than usually.

"Need help?" Dan offered, "Not to brag but I've been helping my mom with her computer for years." he grinned, setting the coffees down on the desk. Phil nodded and pushed the chair to the other side of the room, cringing a bit at the thud it made against the red wall. He scooted to the side, giving Dan access to the underneath of his desk.

"What's the problem?" Dan asked as he got down on the floor as well, now eye to eye with Phil. He smiled again, his eyes locked with Phil's blue ones that have comforted him so much recently.

Phil glanced at the computer a bit before looking back at Dan, "Won't turn on." he mumbled. Dan nodded, tearing his eyes away to pay attention to the mess of wires dangling from the desk onto the floor. He hummed as he scanned the mass, rolling his eyes a bit as he leaned forward to flick the switch on the power strip. Dan pulled back to look at Phil, smiling sweetly.

"The power strip was off. Probably got bumped while they were cleaning last night or when you sat down. All fixed." Dan explained, crossing his legs as he sat on the floor in front of Phil. The man opposite him had his back against a wall and one knee brought up to his chest, his arms wrapped around it. He laughed, throwing his head back against the wall, his entire body moving with his roaring laughter. Dan grinned, watching the man as he picked at his shirt.

"Sorry," Phil said, coming down from his high, still giggling a bit. "I'm stupid."

"You aren't stupid. Maybe a little less tech savvy than most, but definitely not stupid." Dan spoke, his tone sweet and soft. The two fell into a silence before Phil cleared his throat, forcing himself to look away.

"Do I smell coffee?" Phil sniffed the air to prove his point, making Dan laugh.

"Yeah, I brought coffee for our meeting," he said, pulling himself up off the floor. Phil followed him up, smiling at him as he reached for his coffee.

"Thanks." Phil hummed, bringing the coffee up to nose, savoring the scent. Dan grabbed his own cup, taking a small sip of the now lukewarm coffee. Both men took their respective seats, looking across at each other.

"So, how's Tyler doing?" Phil asked, sipping his drink, humming happily at the taste. Dan looked away a bit, taking a drink of his.

"He's good. He says he's sorry that we couldn't make it to drinks last week. Something for work came up for him." Dan lied, knowing full well that Tyler told him that he wasn't allowed to go since Phil obviously had a thing for him. Phil nodded a bit, setting his drink to search the messy desk.

"It's nothing. We'll just have to go some other time." Phil smiled, "Let's carry on. I have given your little demo a listen, and I have to say, it's great."

Dan's heart sunk into his stomach, a smile blossoming on his face. "Really?" he asked, "It was just a little thing, I didn't know if it was like perfect yet, just a little thing I whipped up." he blurted, words just spilling out of his mouth.

Phil laughed, "Dan, it's fine. It needs a little bit of work. Mostly, just adding music and fixing a few vocal things but I think it's a really good starting point. You're very talented."

Dan blushed, smiling a bit. "Wow. Well, thank you."

"There's just one thing. I had a question."

"Yeah of course, what is it?" Dan asked, shifting in his seat a bit, taking another drink from his coffee.

"I can tell that this is about something." Phil started, grabbing the piece of paper with Dan's scribbled lyrics on it. "I mean, it's awfully personal."

Dan swallowed a bit, "Yeah. It is."

"You good? Like is everything okay in your life?" Phil said, his voice soft.

"I-" he choked out, looking away from Dan.

"But everything is shattering and it's my mistake" Phil quoted quietly from the paper. "I am tired of this place, I hope people change"

Dan froze, staring at the wood of Phil's desk, his eyes beginning to memorize the swirl of the grain, the different colors within it, the shine and the matte in the different spots. His thoughts began to swirl as well, mimicking the wood grain in front of him.

"-Only fools do what I do. Only fools fall." Phil continued, unaware of Dan's breakdown.

"Stop." Dan mumbled, closing his eyes. Phil stopped, snapping his mouth closed as he watched Dan.

"I'm sorry, did I-"

"It's okay. I know you didn't... mean to upset me." Dan said softly, opening his eyes to look at Phil, "Can we just, forget about it. It's not about..."

"I know." he said quietly, looking away. "Let's just move past it." Dan nodded, smiling a bit. 

"Thanks, are we going to work on this for a bit?" he hummed, brushing his hair back. Phil took a quick note of his adverted eyes and the way his foot was tapping rapidly against the floor but he just smiled and nodded, not wanting to bring anything up anymore. 

"Yeah. Just for a bit."

~~

Phil sighs as he sits back on the couch, his hand wrapped around the neck of a bottle of beer, listening to the slightly distant voice of his friend. 

"- and so I slam the door again, still laughing a-" Chris paused as he walked into the lounge, noticing that Phil was just staring at the wall in front of him. "Are you even paying attention?"

Phil looked over at him, sighing a bit, "Sorry, Chris. I'm just... preoccupied." Chris rolled his eyes, sitting down on the couch next to him, throwing his legs over Phil's laps. 

"Boy trouble?"

"No." Phil laughed, taking a sip of the drink in his hand. "Well, yes. Kinda." 

"Oh really? Anything I can help with? I'm all ears."

"Well, I mean, he's a boy. But it's not like I'm... in love with him." Phil mumbled, looking over at Chris. "Or maybe I am. A little."

"Aw, that's so cute Philly, I'm glad you could finally realized I'm your one true love." Chris joked, sitting up with puckered lips. Phil laughed, rolling his eyes, shoving his friend back. 

"Shut up. I've told you about him before. Dan?" Phil explained, smiling a bit at his name. "Well, he's been working on songs and I can't help but... worry about him."

"What do you mean?" Chris hummed, "Is he going to hurt himself?"

Phil shook his head, "No, I think his boyfriend is hurting him." he mumbled. Chris sat up quickly, staring at him with bewilderment. 

"Two things. One, you didn't tell me that pretty singer boy has a boyfriend. And two, what makes you think that said boyfriend is abusing him."

Phil rolled his eyes a bit, "Well he does have a boyfriend and he wrote a song. About being upset that he fell in love with someone. And his boyfriend won't let him go out. And I don't know..."

"Are you sure you aren't projecting things onto his boyfriend that you want to be true so that you can swoop in and take him?" Chris said, getting shoved off of the couch by the older of the two. 

"I wouldn't want him to get hurt. I care about him too much."


End file.
